Hi Everyone,
Next month I'm booked on CO to fly SFO-EWR, it was originally suppoed to be a 738, but I just checked and it now shows it as a 739 (737-900) on their website. I'm not sure that their 739A can make it trans-con, so is it safe to safe that I'll be on a 739ER? I know the seat map doesnt really tell you how full the plane is, but if I had to judge it by that I only saw about 5 seats unassigned in Y.
Either way it will be my first ride on the 739, just hope it has some sort of entertainment on board for the flight to EWR. Oh and I'm flying out on the 10th of April.

Starting on 08Apr you will know more about the if it's a 739 or 739ER either on continental.com or pda.continental.com/info . The big difference between the two will be the presence of video monitors. All 739ERs currently on fleet came without inflight entertainment in anticipation of installing LiveTV.

While 5 seats in Y remain assigned, a few more may be open especially the bulkhead and possibly the overwing exits, which gold and platinum OnePass elites can select at the time of booking.

Hope that helps

The journey of life is not based on the accomplishments, but the experience.

ok, sounds good. But I did look on Continental.com and I was trying to think of routes that they would be using the 739er on, but couldn't come up with any, or if the ones that I did see just said "737-900". So does continental on their website specifically state 737-900ER or do they just list both types as 737-900?

Quoting Stealth777 (Reply 2):So does continental on their website specifically state 737-900ER or do they just list both types as 737-900?

While the 739ER are on longer routes that had been flown by the 752 or 753, they can fly anywhere in the system where the 738s and 739s fly. So when you are purchasing on CO.com, you will get the "generic" 739 that doesn't distinguish it from either type. You will know starting 2 days before your flight which one you may get. But comparing SeatGuru and CO.com, if there is 32ABC, then you are on the 739ER.

As for some routes, previously IAH-SEA-ANC-SEA-IAH was on the 752, and then 753, and now on the 739ER. Also through SEA, a 739ER could do EWR-SEA-IAH, and v.v. LAX and the IAH-EWR "shuttle" as well. Don't know if they have been dispatched to Caribbean, Central, and northern South American flights. They are slowly being added to the CO fleet, and some of the older ones will go offline for a bit while they receive LiveTV installation.

Speaking of which, has CO received FAA certification to operate LiveTV?

The journey of life is not based on the accomplishments, but the experience.

Just checked CO.com and it looks like ship #413 is doing the EWR-SFO-EWR run as flight #548 and 549. Was only able to see until Wed the 8th of April. Does anyone know how long she is staying on this route? and will she be doing the same flights come this Friday when I fly out to EWR on #549??

Correct about them all being in a BF config but completely wrong about them only operating transatlantic and IAH-LATAM. They operate very frequently on transcon and EWR-Florida and EWR-IAH routes.

Quoting Stealth777 (Reply 4):Just checked CO.com and it looks like ship #413 is doing the EWR-SFO-EWR run as flight #548 and 549. Was only able to see until Wed the 8th of April. Does anyone know how long she is staying on this route? and will she be doing the same flights come this Friday when I fly out to EWR on #549??

I believe the plan is that it will be operating these flights for a while, so you could be in luck, barring any equipment swaps

As of now (as you noticed) ship 413 is operating this route. It is unclear if it will still be on Friday, but if it is, you won the lottery. It is the only COA plane with LiveTV already installed, and allegedly operating as of today. $6 to watch TV in coach.

Quoting Star_world (Reply 8):
Correct about them all being in a BF config but completely wrong about them only operating transatlantic and IAH-LATAM. They operate very frequently on transcon and EWR-Florida and EWR-IAH routes.

Hmm, I must be mistaken then. Would it then be correct to say that as CO receives additional 739ERs (iirc they have planes waiting to be delivered), they will swap them for 757s to be used on intl. routes?

I'm saying this on the assumption that CO is trying to free up as many aircraft as possible for new transatlantic routes from EWR on the 757 until the 787s arrive, as it seems that all of the 772s have been slotted to LHR and CO's Asia routes where the range is truly needed until the 787s arrive.

Well I hope I get that bird on Friday. Just have to figure out if its worth it to pay $6 to watch TV. I guess if you have satellite or cable at your house its the same thing. Paying to watch something that used to be free back in the day. Do we know if it comes with an airmap thats free? I'd rather look at that than anything else.

Oh by the way, CO has 1 752 on the SFO-EWR run that comes in the night before from IAH, and I think 4/5x a week they have a 753 on the red-eye and that plane comes from EWR.

Quoting Cba (Reply 11):Hmm, I must be mistaken then. Would it then be correct to say that as CO receives additional 739ERs (iirc they have planes waiting to be delivered), they will swap them for 757s to be used on intl. routes?

I'm saying this on the assumption that CO is trying to free up as many aircraft as possible for new transatlantic routes from EWR on the 757 until the 787s arrive, as it seems that all of the 772s have been slotted to LHR and CO's Asia routes where the range is truly needed until the 787s arrive.

Well the Florida turns exist because it is a way for the airplane to make some money in between int'l flights. The hub to hub flying will likely be around to position and move the airplanes throughout the system. I'm not totally sure what other Europe flying the 757 can do that isn't already being done (Stuttgart perhaps or Lyons or restart CGN). Otherwise I would think the next evolution would be to start/re-start some Hawaii flying from LAX. I think the only thing that you will see the 757 "replaced" on would be the transcon stuff and even then I am sure there will be some 757 transcon flying.

Quoting Soxfan (Reply 14):Overhead video is still free on most airlines apart from headphones, and I can think of one or two airlines that still offer complimentary PTVs with live TV (although movies may be at a cost).

As far as I know, all of the US airlines that offer PTV have complimentary live TV (B6, VX, F9, DL). I don't know any that charge (until now--CO, and this is just from anectdotal evidence from the thread I mentioned). I believe movies cost on all of them, in general, but VX has some movies that are free, and some for pay.

Quoting Aviators99 (Reply 17):As far as I know, all of the US airlines that offer PTV have complimentary live TV (B6, VX, F9, DL). I don't know any that charge (until now--CO, and this is just from anectdotal evidence from the thread I mentioned). I believe movies cost on all of them, in general, but VX has some movies that are free, and some for pay.

F9 charges for TV. I flew LGA-DEN-SAN on 8/8/08 (I remember because I watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games). It was $6, however on the LGA-DEN portion we had to circle over Colorado because of weather and they didn't charge the passengers and my card was refunded. But they did charge for the next portion.